The objective of the present invention is to provide a knockabout all-weather bolt action rifle of great simplicity and ruggedness of construction, and low manufacturing cost compared to conventional bolt action rifles. A further object of the invention is to provide a rifle having the appearance of a modern assault rifle and which requires only the minimum care and maintenance normally given to an assault rifle in the field.
An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of an elongated action tube connected between the rifle barrel and stock, and serving to entirely enclose and guide the bolt during its forward and rearward travel, whereby the bolt is precisely controlled at all times, in contrast to conventional bolt action rifles where the bolt is not fully supported during the full extent of its rearward travel. The arrangement greatly increases the smoothness and precision of bolt operation, and eliminates any tendency for the bolt to bind as sometimes occurs with conventional bolt actions.
A further important object of the invention is to provide a bolt action rifle which requires only simple and comparatively inexpensive machining operations by means of conventional, readily available tools, in contrast to the special and expensive tooling generally required for the manufacturing of conventional bolt action rifles.
Another object and feature of the present invention is to eliminate the costly internal bolt guide rails of conventional bolt action rifles and to employ a simple milled guide slot in the action tube to guide the bolt in its longitudinal and circumferential movements. The bolt itself is simply a solid steel cylinder requiring only external machining operations, except for a longitudinal passage for the firing pin which is formed by a drill bit. The bolt in the conventional bolt action rifle generally requires intricate internal and external machining.
A further feature and advantage of the present invention over the prior art resides in the provision of a simplified and reliable integrated firing and safety mechanism which involves fewer parts and less manufacturing cost than the comparable mechanisms of conventional firearms of the general type involved in the present invention.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a common unitary body serving as a magazine for the rifle and a mount for the firing mechanism and safety, said body being attached directly to the action tube.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art during the course of the following description.